Monday, November 2, 2015

Swimming In Dense Fog Before Experiencing No Go Yoga

What you are looking at here is the view from my patio balcony lookout on the outer world, looking through a dense fog at an increasingly cool pool, and the white ghost which has taken up residence in one of the pool zone's trees.

I did not have to much trouble navigating my way to the pool this morning, despite the almost zero visibility.

Til I took up residence in this landlocked part of the planet I thought land had to be near a large body of water, like an ocean, to have dense fog events.

The 24 hour temperature average continues to be well above 50. A 24 hour temperature average below 50 is my threshold beyond which I do not get in the then too cool pool.

Yesterday when I took myself to River Legacy Park in Arlington I had not intended that to be a jogging excursion. However, two miles from vehicular cover heavy rain turned me into a running maniac. I had no idea I was now able to run two miles at semi-high speed.

Decades ago I took up yoga. I used to get back aches, decades ago. Yoga pretty much put an end to back aches. Over the following decades my yoga practice became a reduced routine of my yoga pose favorites. Like the Bhujangasana Cobra Pose. A couple years ago I discovered I could no longer the Halasana Plough Pose, let alone the Revere Plough Pose.

It was an increase in the diameter of my mid-section which made the Plough Pose impossible. I have since reduced the size of the diameter of my mid-section, and while I am closer to being able to do the full Plough Pose, it is no where near the effortless act it used to be, long long ago.

A decade or so ago, during a previous moment of madness where I decided to once again become a Yoga Maniac I bought The Complete Idiot's Guide to Yoga.

Well.

This morning I was distraught to learn it is not only the Plough Pose that is no longer effortless for me. Pretty much all the Poses, except the most simple, are not an easy stretch.

This morning I had absolutely no problem with the Tadasana Mountain Pose. Basically this Yoga Pose involves standing still with your feet together, arms stretched down. That's it. One is supposed to center oneself. I aced this one. The other Poses in this section presented various levels of difficulty. And then I came to another one I aced.

The Plank Pose. Basically the up position of a push up.

My next failure was the Vashishthasana Arm Balance Pose. Ouch.

The next chapter was all about bending backwards. Up first was the aforementioned Bhujangasana Cobra Pose. I can do this one. But I don't feel good about it. The next one to cause me trouble was the Dhanurasana Bow Pose. I used to be so flexible. This morning I learned this is no longer the case. There are multiple Bow Poses, all of which flex vexed me.

Then I came to one I do all the time, the Urdhvamukha Shvanasana Upward Facing Dog Pose. Basically the Cobra Pose only you keep arching further back with the help of your arms, help which is not part of the Cobra Pose.

I shall mention only one more Yoga Pose failure, because to list them all is just way too depressing. The Ustrasana Camel Pose. This one is so simple, or it used to be.

Well, I am determined to get myself back being a Yoga Master. When I reach that point maybe I'll make a video to document it. Yeah, I can really see that happening....